


What is best (is not always normal)

by Turtlebaby



Category: White Collar
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 21:18:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6770233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turtlebaby/pseuds/Turtlebaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pointless, shameless, post series Mozzie and Theo fluff.  That's all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What is best (is not always normal)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the runthecon on lj - with the prompt "Who wants to be normal anyway?"

Diana didn't bother being surprised when a somehow unknown numbers dinged her skype at 8pm on the Wednesday after she'd left New York. “Hello, Mozzie.” She sighed and rolled her shoulders.

“Lady Suit.” He tipped his head in greeting. “Just so you know, this is not a secure line.”

Diana laughed, soft. Theo was sleeping in a pack and play just three feet from her. Setting up a new apartment with a baby wasn't as easy as she expected. “No kidding?”

“I assume you arrived safe?” Mozzie ignored her jab and fiddled with his glasses. “Theo is…”

“Sleeping, currently. But yeah Moz, he survived the trip just fine.”

“Oh.” She just caught the disappointment before it flickered off his face. “Good.”

“Call back tomorrow. He'll be happy to see your face.” She shook her head in mock disgust. “I can't believe I just said that.”

“And I his.” Mozzie nodded. “Bedtime is still at 7, right?”

“Of course.” 

“I will call back then.” He tipped his head again and the screen went dark. Diana just rolled her eyes and stood, reaching for another box in the dimly lit room.

\--

She was a little taken aback, however, when the same man showed up at her door just over a year later. “Mozzie?” She stepped back even as the child in her arms gurgled happily and reached toward Mozzie. 

Mozzie scooped him up and brushed past her, babbling at the boy in his arms. Theo was grabbing for his glasses and blowing spit bubbles everywhere. For such a germophobe, Mozzie sure didn't seem to mind the saliva shower. “Come on in.” She mumbled to herself and she shut the door behind him.

He didn't ask to stay, but he didn't leave for a week. Only once did she walk in on him explaining the truth behind the assassination of JFK. “Mozzie! You're going to wreck my son.”

“Au contraire mon ami.” Mozzie tickled her son’s belly and the baby laughed and kicked his feet. 

Diana threw her hands up but did nothing else to dissuade Mozzie. Somethings were too important.

\--  
The visits continued, increasing in frequency from every other month to every other week. 

His first word after “Mama” was “Moss” which she thought was strange until she watched Mozzie’s face light up as Theo lunged toward the computer screen screeching his new word. She laughed, not quite knowing how she'd misunderstood her son.

Another year and Neal was back in New York, probably tucked between the Burkes’ and Mozzie was back at her door; joy for a friend recovered losing the battle to the sadness of a friendship that'd never be the same. 

“He's sleeping.” Diana pointed down the hall and Mozzie’s eyes dropped. Something in her chest tightened. “Go ahead. He misses you, too.”

Mozzie found a couple of new safe houses, one just a mile from her own front door. Theo stopped going to daycare. 

By the time he was 4, he could count to 20, spell his name, and list all the major players in the Area 51 cover up. And Diana was proud.

\--

When he was 12 she caught them in a deep discussion about airlines and missiles. She didn't even pretend to understand. But she met her son’s eyes and he smiled.

He graduated at the top of his class and Mozzie was right there in the seats next to her, in the section reserved for family. Her son could pick a pocket or a lock, puzzles and riddles didn't stump him for long, languages came as easily to him as math and science, and he was open minded enough to understand without taking anything too seriously. When he walked across the stage to collect his diploma, Diana meant every word when she pulled Mozzie into a hug. “Thank you for being there for him.”

He pulled his glasses off and wiped furiously at them for an instant before he met her gaze. “Thank you for letting me.” He turned back to the stage and whistled, loud and piercing. Theo found them in the crowd and grinned.

It was later as Mozzie polished off a bottle of wine with the last of the graduation cake. “We did good.” He licked the frosting from the fork, Mozzie had come a long way himself, since letting a child into his life.

“We?” Diana cocked an eyebrow.

Mozzie smiled softly. “Well, you.”

“Nah.” She let her grin spread. “We. Without you he might have turned out… normal.”

Mozzie shuddered. “Perish the thought.”

Diana laughed and dropped down beside him, snagging his fork and the last bite of cake. “I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree.”

Fin


End file.
